Phillip David Wyman (February 21, 1945 – November 28, 2019) was an American politician from California. A Republican, he was a member of the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1992 and again from 2000 to 2002; he was also a member of the California Senate from 1993 to 1994.

Phil Wyman
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 34th district
In office
December 4, 2000 – November 30, 2002
Preceded byKeith Olberg
Succeeded byBill Maze
Member of the California Senate
from the 16th district
In office
May 3, 1993[1] – November 30, 1994
Preceded byDon Rogers
Succeeded byJim Costa
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 34th district
In office
December 4, 1978 – November 30, 1992
Preceded byLarry Chimbole
Succeeded byKathleen Honeycutt
Personal details
Born(1945-02-21)February 21, 1945
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 2019(2019-11-28) (aged 74)
Tehachapi, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLynn (div)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of California, Davis
Ateneo de Manila University
University of the Pacific
Military service
Branch/service United States Air Force

Assembly races

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Wyman was vice president of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade in 1976 when he first ran for California State Assembly from the Tehachapi-Palmdale based 34th District. He narrowly lost to Democratic incumbent Larry Chimbole but went on to defeat him two years later and served in the Assembly from 1978 until 1992,[2] when he opted not to seek reelection and instead run for congress.

In 2000 Wyman ran again for Assembly in the 34th Assembly District, which consisted of the Mojave Desert portion of San Bernardino County (except for the Morongo valley), the eastern Kern County desert/mountains area and Inyo County. He defeated the city manager of Victorville to win the Republican nomination, and then easily won the November 2000 general election in a heavily Republican district.

In 2002, redistricting after the 2000 Census prompted Wyman to run in the new 36th Assembly District. He moved to a small apartment in Phelan, California (in the rural San Bernardino County desert) to qualify to run, which caused his political opponents to accuse him of being a carpetbagger.[3] He narrowly lost the Republican primary to Sharon Runner of Lancaster, the wife of then-incumbent Assemblyman George Runner.

In 2006, he ran again for Assembly in the 36th Assembly District, based in Kern County, but lost the Republican primary to Bakersfield Superintendent of Schools Jean Fuller.

Congressional race

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The 25th Congressional district was created after the 1991 reapportionment and was centered on the new city of Santa Clarita in fast growing northern Los Angeles County. Wyman moved south from Tehachapi in Kern County to run for the new 25th.[4] He narrowly lost the GOP primary to Santa Clarita Mayor Buck McKeon, however.

State Senate races

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Wyman bounced back less than a year later when he won a special election for the Fresno-based 16th state Senate district in 1993.

In 1994, despite huge Republican gains across the country, Wyman lost his state Senate seat to then Democratic Assemblyman Jim Costa (whom Wyman had defeated in the special election). He was the only Republican west of the Mississippi to be unseated.[5] In 1996 he ran for a neighboring state Senate seat and lost the GOP primary again, this time to Palmdale area Assemblyman Pete Knight.

In 2010 he ran once more for the state Senate seat he had lost to Costa in 1994. He narrowly lost the primary to Tim Theissen, who then lost the general election to Democrat Michael J. Rubio.[6]

Reputation

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Through the years Wyman gained a reputation for moving around the area in order to run for office. He originally served as an Assemblyman from Tehachapi (in Kern County), moved south to run for congress in Los Angeles County in 1992, then won election to a state Senate seat in 1993 in Fresno County (north of Kern county) before losing a state Senate primary in 1996 in Los Angeles county again.[7]

Return

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In 2000 Wyman made a comeback of sorts, winning his old 34th Assembly district. Two years later, however, he made a tactical error and decided to run for reelection in the neighboring 36th district instead. He was anticipating an opening in the state Senate in 2004, a district that was outside the boundaries of his 34th Assembly district, but within those of the 36th. His plans went awry when the 36th's incumbent, fellow Republican George Runner decided to back his wife (Sharon Runner), who actually lived within the district. Wyman narrowly lost the GOP primary, while his old 34th district was won by Republican Bill Maze, a Tulare County supervisor, who found himself unopposed after Wyman decided not to run here.[8]

In 2014 Wyman was an unsuccessful candidate for California Attorney General, losing the GOP spot to former deputy state Attorney General Ronald Gold by just 1.2%.[9]

In 2016, Wyman declared his candidacy in the race for the Senate seat from California being vacated by Democrat Barbara Boxer. In the June 7 primary, Wyman came in fourth in the overall field, with 247,397 total votes (4.9%), and thus was the second highest-performing Republican in the field, only behind George "Duf" Sundheim's 409,096 (8%).[10]

Death

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Wyman died from cancer in Tehachapi on November 28, 2019, aged 74.[11]

Electoral history

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Member, California State Assembly: 1979-1993; 2001-03
Member, California State Senate : 1993-95
Year Office Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1976 California State Assembly
District 34
Larry Chimbole 44,154 50.6% Phil Wyman 43,086 49.4%
1978 California State Assembly
District 34
Larry Chimbole 36,928 45.7% Phil Wyman 43,845 54.3%
1980 California State Assembly
District 34
Gloria A. Dizmang 28,971 26.9% Phil Wyman 78,649 73.1%
1982 California State Assembly
District 34
none Phil Wyman 84,963 100%
1984 California State Assembly
District 34
Cindy Shaw O'Connor 43,019 33.9% Phil Wyman 83,936 66.1%
1986 California State Assembly
District 34
Richard Dearborn 30,681 29.8% Phil Wyman 72,220 70.2%
1988 California State Assembly
District 34
Earl J. Wilson 41,998 29.3% Phil Wyman 98,577 68.8%
1990 California State Assembly
District 34
none Phil Wyman 82,329 76.1% Rich Tisbert 25,831 23.9%
1992 U.S House of Representatives
District 25
James Gilmartin 67,687 33.3% Buck McKeon 40%
Phil Wyman 38.5%
104,552 52%
1993 California State Senate
District 16 (special election)
Jim Costa 43,807 47.3% Phil Wyman 48,768 52.7%
1994 California State Senate
District 16
Jim Costa 59,022 51.6% Phil Wyman 56,867 48.4%
1996 California State Senate
District 17
Steven Figueroa 81,962 33.4% Jim Cox 15%
Pete Knight 46%
Phil Wyman 39%
163,531 66.6%
2000 California State Assembly
District 34
Robert "Bob" Conway 40,968 34.2% Phil Wyman 78,830 65.8%
2002 California State Assembly
District 36
Robert Davenport 25,853 36.1% Sharon Runner 39.6%
Phil Wyman 32.5%
45,856 65.8%
2004 California State Assembly
District 32
Marvin Armas 35,130 21.3% Kevin McCarthy 58.9%
Phil Wyman 22.5%
129,510 78.7%
2006 California State Assembly
District 32
Maribel Vega 33,594 28.3% Jean Fuller 55.6%
Phil Wyman 22.2%
85,055 71.7%
2010 California State Senate
District 16
Michael J. Rubio 71,334 60.4% Tim Thiesen 50.6%
Phil Wyman 49.4%
46,717 39.6%

References

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  1. ^ "Phil Wyman Sworn in". Some Issues Titled:supplement to the Appendix to the Journal of the Senate. 1942.
  2. ^ Vassar, Alex; Shane Meyers (2007). "Phillip D. Wyman, Republican". JoinCalifornia.com. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  3. ^ Fausset, Richard (3 March 2002). "36th Assembly Race Gets Nasty". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. ^ California Journal Vol. XXIII, No.7 (July 1992) "Complete Primary Results". StateNet Publications, July 1992.
  5. ^ California Journal Vol. XXVII, No.5 (May 1996) "The 1996 Primary: The Endgame Begins". StateNet Publications, May 1996.
  6. ^ "California State Senate elections, 2010".
  7. ^ California Journal Vol. XXVII, No.3 (March 1996) "Election '96". StateNet Publications, March 1996.
  8. ^ California Journal Vol. XXXIII, No.10 (February 2002) "Special Election Issue: Complete Ballot Analysis". StateNet Publications, February 2002.
  9. ^ "Phil Wyman".
  10. ^ "U.S. Senate - Statewide Results". California Secretary of State. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010.
  11. ^ "Phillip David Wyman, Feb. 21, 1945 – Nov. 28, 2019". Tehachapi News. December 3, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
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California Assembly
Preceded by Member of the California State Assembly
from the 34th district

December 4, 1978 - November 30, 1992
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the California State Assembly
from the 34th district

December 4, 2000 - November 30, 2002
Succeeded by
California Senate
Preceded by Member of the California State
from the 16th district

May 3, 1993 - November 30, 1994
Succeeded by